Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 133 / Monday, July 13, 1998 /Rules and Regulations 37507

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat

Scida, 978–281–9260, or Sarah

McLaughlin, 301–713–2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulations implemented under the

authority of the Atlantic Tunas

Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.)

governing the harvest of BFT by persons

and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction

are found at 50 CFR part 285. Section

285.22 subdivides the U.S. quota

recommended by the International

Commission for the Conservation of

Atlantic Tunas among the various

domestic fishing categories.

Harpoon Category Closure

NMFS is required, under

§ 285.20(b)(1), to monitor the catch and

landing statistics and, on the basis of

these statistics, to project a date when

the catch of BFT will equal the quota

and publish a Federal Register

announcement to close the applicable

fishery.

Implementing regulations for the

Atlantic tuna fisheries at § 285.22

provide for a quota of 53 mt of large

medium and giant BFT to be harvested

from the regulatory area by vessels

permitted in the Harpoon category.

Based on reported landings and effort,

NMFS projects that this quota will be

reached by July 7, 1998. Therefore,

fishing for, retaining, possessing, or

landing large medium or giant BFT by

vessels in the Harpoon category must

cease at 11:30 p.m. local time July 7,

1998.

The intent of this closure is to prevent

overharvest of the quota established for

the Harpoon category.

Classification

This action is taken under

§§ 285.20(b) and 285.22 and is exempt

from review under E.O. 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18461 Filed 7–7–98; 4:25 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208298–8055–02; I.D.

070798E]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch

in the Eastern Aleutian District of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the

Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands management

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the 1998 total

allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean

perch in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), July 7, 1998, until 2400 hrs,

A.l.t., December 31, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council under

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed

by regulations implementing the FMP at

subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and CFR

part 679.

The 1998 TAC of Pacific ocean perch

for the Eastern Aleutian District was

established by Final 1998 Harvest

Specifications of Groundfish for the

BSAI (63 FR 12689, March 16, 1998) as

2,840 metric tons (mt). See

§ 679.20(c)(3)(iii).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the 1998 TAC for

Pacific ocean perch in the Eastern

Aleutian District will be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 2,540 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 300 mt as bycatch

to support other anticipated groundfish

fisheries. In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional

Administrator finds that this directed

fishing allowance has been reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch

in the Eastern Aleutian District.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations at

§ 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately to prevent

overharvesting the 1998 TAC of Pacific

ocean perch for the Eastern Aleutian

District of the BSAI. A delay in the

effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Further

delay would only result in overharvest.

NMFS finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action should

not be delayed for 30 days. Accordingly,

under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the

effective date is hereby waived.

This action is required by § 679.20

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18462 Filed 7–7–98; 4:18 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F